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Maelstrom
Overview Flagship of the Sith Armada and personal vessel of the Dark Lords, the Maelstrom is one of a kind in the Sith Navy and in the galaxy at large. While only having a fraction of the weaponry and star fighter capacity that equivalent-sized ships carry, the Maelstrom is capable of engaging the vast majority vessels in combat due to its incredibly powerful defense grid. Twelve overlapping shield systems along with triple-layered and compartmentalized armor plating rank the Maelstrom among the most durable ships in the galaxy, comparable to the command ships of New Republic and Imperial fleets. Additionally, a tremendous amount of energy is pumped into the Maelstrom's six high-efficiency, high-output ion engines, giving it superior sublight propulsion. This allows the Maelstrom to outrun any vessels that would prove superior in direct combat. Modernized Technology Six-Drive Hyperspace Cycler Should the Maelstrom find itself in a gravity well, a special mechanism cycles from one of six hyperdrive systems to the next once the first overheats, allowing the vessel to remain in hyperspace for those extra seconds that will allow it to bypass most artificially created interdiction fields. Miniaturization Modern advances have led to significant reduction in the size of general shipboard systems and machinery. As a result of the steady rate of advancement in this field, the Maelstrom is capable of fitting more systems onto its relatively small hull, thus exceeding the defensive ratings and engine output of vessels of similar size. Next Generation Turbolaser Technology The Maelstrom takes advantage of modern but relatively untapped technologies, and has merged them with privately developed cooling, energizing and power systems resulting in a weapon that has comparable energy consumption and size while boasting a 110% power output when compared to standard turbolaser models. What this in effect means, is that getting hit by 10 turbolaser blasts from the Maelstrom is equivalent to getting hit by 11 turbolasers from any other vessel. Layered Shielding The Maelstrom features not one but twelve high-output shield generators. Many vessels are plagued by a catastrophic loss of shielding when their shield generator is destroyed. Because of the presence of twelve overlapping shield generators working together as a cohesive defensive grid, the loss of one will result in only an 8.33% drop in overall shield efficiency, as opposed to total failure. Furthermore, the presence of 12 shield generators yields a far more powerful overall shield strength than would otherwise be possible. Armor Biotreatment Dorioss Shipbuilders have developed a bacterial culture in laboratories that bonds with the molecules of durasteel and titanium in extremely high temperatures and begins to replicate. The bacteria, though soft in an oxygen-rich environment, become rigid and rocklike in the vacuum of outer space. What this means, is that when a weapon such as a laser or warhead impacts against the cruiser's hull, the temperature will trigger a biochemical reaction in the bacteria, causing them to begin reproducing at an incredible rate. Essentially, the armor begins to "heal" itself. The bacteria itself is not, however, proof against weapons and should not be substituted for armor as it cannot, in fact, repel firepower of even minimal strength. The benefits of this biotreatment are not at all defensive, but rather are designed to quickly repair hull breaches and prevent the loss of atmosphere within the ship, thus acting as a passive lifesaving measure. Proton Torpedo Bays The proton torpedo bays are among the heaviest weaponry aboard the Maelstrom. They are designed to impact catastrophically against the unshielded hulls of enemy warships, piercing through the armor before detonating within the ship itself. The Proton Torpedo systems are optimized for space combat and are far, far less efficient when used for planetary bombardment or against fully shielded targets. Proton Bomb Bays The proton torpedo bays are the most effective space-to-surface weapons on the Sith flagship. They are designed to impact catastrophically against planetary targets, detonating with an explosion bearing a forcefulness of several megatons. The Proton Bomb systems are optimized for orbital bombardment and are inefficient and entirely useless against other warships. Next-Generation Ion and Hyper Drive Technology Cutting-edge advancements in efficiency and output of ion drives have resulted in more powerful engines than are presently being used aboard most vessels. This means that the Maelstrom is notably faster in subspace travel than destroyers of like size. This gives it a distinct advantage in pursuit and escape. More notable, however, is the advancement in hyperdrive technology. For decades, a HD speed rating of x1 was considered the ceiling for standard military faster-than-light travel. Using technologies only used thus far by custom speedshops and individual racer/courier outfitters, we have broken the x1 barrier, resulting in hyperdrives that travel at .9875 past lightspeed. Onboard Automation Advanced computer systems connected to centralized controls mean that almost everything on the ship can either be automated, or controlled from the bridge. However, performance drops as much as 29% when particular systems are automated. For optimal performance, a live crew is always recommended. Onboard Security The Maelstrom is among the most difficult warships to breach and board, of any currently in the galaxy. A security system that can be controlled only from the bridge or auxiliary bridge (with proper security clearance codes) may be activated at any time. .85-meter thick heat-resistant Durasteel barriers may be activated, separating the vessel into a maximum of 6246 individual security sectors that must each individually be breached by any boarding party. Each sector is equipped with six rapid-firing blaster turrets that can be controlled remotely or automated to fire on hostile targets. Any sector may also be emptied of oxygen, resulting in a vacuum environment that will kill persons without pressure suits and breathmasks. If the proper security codes are entered, crew aboard the bridge or auxiliary bridge may initiate Code Omega. When this is done, the shipboard computer locks down the entire vessel, separating it into its 6246 sectors. It then scans all onboard lifeforms and droids via motion, sound and heat detectors and holographic recognition software. Oxygen is depleted from any sector where unidentified lifeforms or droids are present (unless a crew member is also in that sector), and the automated turrets open fire on them until they are destroyed. =Sources= *Sith Technical Manual 2.0 Category:Sith EmpireCategory:Featured Article